Artak Beglaryan, the State Minister of the Republic of Artsakh, on October 25 held a press conference followed by a keynote address at a public forum organized by the Pan-Armenian Council of Western United States, at the Armenian Society of Los Angeles Center, located in Glendale.
At the press conference, Beglaryan fielded questions from members of the print and television media. He was joined during the conference and public forum by Davit Akopyan, Chief Advisor to Beglaryan.
Zaven Khanjian, Executive Director and CEO of the Armenian Missionary Association of America, which had invited Beglaryan to the United States as the keynote speaker of its annual meeting and banquet, provided introductory remarks welcoming the State Minister, and explained his vital role during Artsakh’s recent history, particularly during the 2020 war of aggression brought on by Azerbaijan, and its aftermath.
Artak Beglaryan with State Senator Anthony Portantino and Glendale City Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian Artak Beglaryan with Glendale Police Chief Carl Povilaitis and the entire command staff of the Glendale Police Department
During the hour-long press conference, moderated by Garo Ghazarian, attorney and co-host of the “Frontlines-Artsakh” program, Minister Beglaryan addressed a broad range of inquiries ranging from the plight of Armenian refugees and prisoners of war to accountability for the funds raised in the diaspora for humanitarian assistance to the Artsakh people.
From 2018 to 2020, Beglaryan served as the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh, before being appointed to his current post as State Minister of the Republic.
Artak Beglaryan with members of the press The Pan-Armenian Council event organizing committee Community members attend public forum
Immediately following the press conference, invited guests gathered for a private reception in honor of Minister Beglaryan.
Among those in attendance were Armenia’s Consul General to Los Angeles, Ambassador Dr. Armen Baibourtian, Glendale Police Chief Carl Povilaitis and the entire command staff of the Glendale Police Department, Lena Bozoyan, Chairwoman of the Pan-Armenian Council, and the leadership of the respective PAC members. The attendees toasted in honor of Minister Beglaryan, applauding his exemplary service to the Armenian people of Artsakh, and to the Armenian nation.
The program then continued in the grand hall of the Armenian Society Center where a capacity audience came to listen to Mr. Beglaryan’s remarks. Dr. Vahram Shemmassian, Director and Professor of the Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Northridge, opened the public forum by welcoming the audience and asking them to stand for the playing of the national anthems of the United States of America and the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.
Dr. Vahan Shemmasian Lena Bozoyan Garo Ghazarian
This was followed by a moment of silence in honor of all those who lost their lives last year during the war. Bozoyan then provided an inspiring welcoming address where she emphasized that the struggle for the liberation of Artsakh continues through Beglaryan’s tireless service and his fellow Artsakh citizens toward achievement of the national aspirations of the Armenian people.
In a moving presentation, Ghazarian then introduced Beglaryan by reciting a beautifully penned letter by his daughter Ani, who three years ago, at 17, had described the profound impact Beglaryan had on her and others of her generation, motivating her to seek a career devoted to public service and human rights.
Beglaryan then made his presentation. During the hour-long address, he offered the attendees an outline of his well-developed five-point plan for the future of Artsakh. He emphasized his vision as follows: Security of Artsakh’s borders and its people, education, economic development, repatriation and engagement in the civic life of Artsakh.
He emphasized that if someone calls themselves an Armenian, they must become a part of Artsakh’s life by living there or by offering their particular expertise in service to Artsakh. It is through such full engagement in Artsakh that internationally recognized statehood for the Republic will be achieved.
Beglaryan elaborated on each of these five points covering a broad range of topics from the role of Russian peacekeepers to the legal status of Artsakh. At the conclusion of his formal remarks, Beglaryan responded to approximately twenty questions from audience members, moderated by Ghazarian.
Beglaryan lost his eyesight as a child in 1995, when a landmine he found in his family’s yard exploded. His father had died in battle during the first Artsakh War of Liberation just two years earlier. He then lost his mother at the age of 16 and, it was then that Minister Beglaryan found his life’s purpose and mission.
Beglaryan had studied in Yerevan, at a school for the visually impaired from 1995-2006. Coming home during summer breaks, he had attended the AMAA Camp in Stepanakert and credits his Christian education there as the bedrock of his commitment to public service. He graduated from Yerevan State University in 2010, subsequently studied business management in Thessaloniki, Greece as part of a student exchange program, and took part in international programs and research fellowships in the Czech Republic and Switzerland. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University College London in political science, security, and integration, and he has completed a public policy and administration program in the U.S., at Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
“We are so grateful to our very distinguished guest, Minister Artak Beglaryan, who gave our community a frank and thorough analysis of the developments in Artsakh during the past year and his plans for Artsakh going forward. We look forward with great anticipation to continue our work and support of Minister Beglaryan and the Armenians of Artsakh,” said Bozoyan.
The event was followed by a reception.
It is indeed true that the Armenian lobby is very effective, far more effective than the Armenian Army to be sure. But to keep supporting this lost cause displays a willful disregard for the new reality on the ground. They are flogging a dead horse here and will cause much unnecessary suffering to the residents of Karabakh who now have zero hope of international recognition. To allow separatism is to open a pandora’s box in the world today that would lead to conflict everywhere. No the Armenian residents of Karabakh need to get used to being Azerbaijan citizens or leave. Those are their only two choices and no amount of revanchist talk, pathetic whining or pleas to the world will change that!
Next time make your remarks under your Turkish or pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijani name. You are not fooling anyone. We can smell a Turk from a mile away.
First of all, what you are suggesting will never happen. Given the current situation, the Armenians may become, and that temporarily, citizens of Russia as Russia is the one primarily in control of the Armenian-populated region of Artsakh-Արցախ falsely labeled as “karabakh” by its former pseudo-Turkish filthy Azerbarani terrorist occupiers.
For the sake of discussion, let’s put aside and forget the fact that Azerbaijan is a terrorist illegitimate state which never existed in the entire history of the region and was artificially invented 103 years ago on occupied Armenian and Persian lands.
Now, according to artificial Azerbaijani constitution adopted in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, this illegitimate terrorist state declared itself as the successor state to the first so-called Azerbaijani democratic republic of 1918. But at this time and during this illegitimate republic and until 1921 “karabakh”, real name Artsakh, was part of Armenia and NOT Azerbaijan democratic republic. The illegal transfer of “karabakh” from Armenia to artificial Azerbaijan took place in 1921 under Soviet Union when Azerbaiajn republic had become Azerbaijan-SSR. Since according to your own leaders Azerbaijan of 1991 is NOT successor state to Azerbaijan-SSR but a successor state to Azerbaijan democratic republic of 1918 THEREFORE “karabakh” stays outside of Azerbaijan and NOT inside! In other words, even according to your own leadership, you have NO legal rights to “karabakh” at all. Furthermore, the Soviet Union was internationally an unrecognized state in 1921 and became recognized internationally only a year or two later which means whatever territorial criminal acts was committed by Soviet Union is also illegal!